What Causes Spider Veins?
Spider veins appear as well-defined purple, blue, or red lines beneath the skin. While we don’t know precisely what causes spider veins, several contributing factors can increase the chances of them forming.
- Hormonal Changes: Blood vessel walls can weaken due to the natural changes in estrogen levels during menopause, puberty, and pregnancy.
- Genetics: Unfortunately, some people are predisposed to developing spider veins.
- Age: The older you get, the less elastic blood vessel walls become. This increases the likelihood of developing spider veins.
- Pressure: The longer you sit or stand can increase pressure on the leg’s veins. Other factors are obesity and remaining stationary for extended periods of time.
- Sun Exposure: If you work, exercise, or relax in the sun too much, you could damage the elastin and collagen in your blood vessels, making them prone to spider veins.
- Injury: Spider veins can form when the body’s soft tissue is injured.
- Medical Conditions: If you have deep vein thrombosis or rosacea, both can cause spider veins to develop.
Why Do Spider Veins Appear More Frequently in Your Legs?
Would you believe they form most often in your legs because of gravity? It’s true. It forces the blood down into the legs and can damage the one-way valves in the veins. When this happens, the blood isn’t adequately pumped back to the heart and pools in the veins, creating spider veins.
Ways to Prevent the Development of Spider Veins
While the following methods will not likely make your existing spider veins fade, they can help you avoid developing new ones.
- Exercise regularly
- Wear compression socks or stockings
- Use sunscreen to minimize your exposure to sunlight
- Maintain a healthy weight
What Spider Vein Treatment Options Are Available?
At The Vein Institute of Hunterdon, we offer sclerotherapy to address the appearance and symptoms of problematic spider veins.
- Cosmetic Sclerotherapy: A minimally invasive procedure that treats spider veins in the legs and even the hands. A solution called a sclerosant is injected into a vein just below the skin level using a tiny needle. This solution causes the vein to scar, harden and eventually collapse, which forces blood to change routes to healthier veins. The collapsed vein is reabsorbed by the body and disappears.
- Ultrasound-guided Sclerotherapy: Ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy is used to treat deep varicose veins and larger spider veins that are symptomatic and not easily seen or reached at the skin’s surface level. Ultrasound is used to “map” out these veins and guide the clinician to the correct spot. The rest of the procedure is the same as in cosmetic sclerotherapy.
While the answer to the question of what causes spider veins can be complicated, at The Vein Institute of Hunterdon, we offer consultation and treatment options to address issues with your spider veins.
If you need more information about your spider veins and possible treatment options, contact The Vein Institute of Hunterdon to schedule your consultation appointment today.